by Desiree Holt
“Will you quit looking at that thing?” Sasha’s annoyed voice broke into her reverie. “I have a good mind to put it in my purse until we leave here. We’re supposed to be having fun, remember? It took me long enough to get you out for a couple of hours. I’m not competing with your cell phone for your attention. Who are you expecting to call, anyway?”
“Just… No one. No one at all.” As if to emphasize her words she picked up the phone and dropped it into her tote. “There. All gone.”
Sasha picked up her drink and took a sip. “Uh-huh. Why do I think that’s all a big act? You’ve been really weird for, well, forever.”
Kari looked at her friend with what she hoped was a confused expression. “Weird? I don’t understand. What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Well, for one thing, we’ve been begging you for months to come out with us. Since you got here from Chicago you’ve been a real social hermit.”
“I went to the Huttons’ party.” Kari did her best not to be defensive.
“And tonight? If we hadn’t had the day from hell, I’m not sure you’d have come tonight,” Sasha added.
“I’ve just… I’m only…” There was no way she could explain the fear she had lived with. “You know how I really like to go home and hole up by myself.”
Sasha shook her head. “There’s by yourself and there’s by yourself. You’re a regular hermit, Kari. You never ever socialize.”
Kari shrugged. “Maybe I just prefer my own company. No offense intended here.”
“None taken. But everyone has to date once in a while, or all those hormones just go to waste.”
“Hormones?” Kari burst out laughing. “I didn’t think they dried up.”
“I’ve tried three times to set you up with this friend of my brother’s and you just blew me off. And look”—she glanced at the bar where a small group of men were laughing together and drinking—“there’s that guy I’ve seen here a bunch who’s definitely after you. He sent a drink over to you twice tonight and you sent them both back.”
“Puhleeze. I’m just not interested. Truly.”
“You don’t have to go home with him,” Sasha pointed out. “But he sure is easy on the eyes, with his gorgeous body, blond hair and a smile to die for.”
Kari peered in the direction of the bar. The man in question turned at that exact moment, caught her eye, grinned and raised his glass to her. She quickly looked away, determined not to give him any encouragement.
“If you think he’s so hot,” she told Sasha, “maybe you should go after him yourself.”
Sasha let out a sigh. ”If only I was the one he had his eye on.”
Kari shrugged. “I don’t think he’s my type.”
Lydia Farmer, a tall brunette who had been on Kip’s staff for five years, licked her lips. “Tell him he can send the drinks to me. I’ll be grateful enough to take him home with me.”
Everyone at the table laughed.
“What will you tell Dale?” Anna Kenyon, a redhead with a temper to match, waved her straw in the air. “Move over, honey?”
“Maybe he’d like some spice in our lives.” Lydia grinned.
Kari chuckled at the byplay. It was fun to talk, and she had a feeling this was common chatter whenever they went out. But none of them ever went home with someone they met here. They’d all talked about it at lunch one day. As prosecuting attorneys, they knew the dangers of situations like that, but it was fun to flirt and pretend.
A sudden shiver rippled down her spine and she slid her gaze around the room. Was there someone watching her too intently? Waiting for her to get up to leave?
Stop it, Kari. The stalker’s been caught. You don’t have anything to worry about now.
She needed to keep that in mind. Wasn’t the stalker’s arrest the very reason she was here celebrating? Anyway, if anything else happened she had options. She ran her fingers over the watch Slade had given her, a reassuring contact. If she got in any trouble at all, she only had to push the tiny button and help would be on its way. And not just the police. She didn’t know the people Slade had on the hook for this, but she was sure they were lethal. Not anyone to get on the wrong side of.
Sasha heaved a sigh, the sound of it drawing her attention back to the present.
“I’d lick him all over if he’d let me and you won’t even give him the time of day.”
“Give it a rest.” Kari flicked a finger in the air. “He’s okay but he’s not my type.”
“Not your type?” Sasha practically squeaked. “Well, damn, girl. What is your type? At this rate, you’ll end up being an old maid.”
If you only knew. “Besides. You know I don’t like blind dates. I’m too old and too particular. And I don’t hook up with guys I meet in bars.”
“Picky, picky, picky.” Sasha took a sip of her drink. “Well, you need to hook up with someone pretty soon or your poor little pussy’s going to just dry right up.”
“Sasha!” Kari nearly knocked her drink over. She looked around carefully to see if anyone had heard.
“Oh, don’t worry. It’s so noisy in here people can hardly hear themselves, never mind us. But it’s the damn truth.” She studied Kari. “Wait a minute… Wait just a minute here.”
“For what? What’s in that crazy brain of yours now?”
“You have met someone, haven’t you? Ohmigod, you’ve met a man and you’ve got something going. I should have spotted that look in your eyes long before now.”
“What look is that?” Kari lifted her glass and took a long drink of the sharp-tasting frosty liquid.
“That ‘I’ve been laid and it’s better than Christmas’ look.”
“You’re delusional.” Kari let her gaze wander around the room, trying to settle it anyplace but on her friend. “And I’d be lying if I tried to make you think that at my age I’d never been laid before. Besides, you know better.”
“Yeah, but this is different.” Sasha tapped a brightly polished nail on the varnished tabletop. “This is way different. I can tell. Come on, girlfriend. Dish.”
Kari finally looked at her hands. “There’s nothing to tell. And if you’re going to push this topic, I’m going home.”
She was afraid to damage the fragile state of the new level of her relationship with Slade by discussing it with anyone. Besides, then she’d have to tell Sasha where and how they’d met, and that was totally not up for discussion.
“Fine. But I’m keeping my eye on you. You’d better believe it.” Sasha signaled the waiter for more drinks.
Kari managed to be sociable for one more round of drinks but passed on a third.
“We have another long day tomorrow,” she told Sasha. “We need to have our brains in working order.”
“True that,” Sasha agreed. “Okay. Time to hit the road, guys. Tomorrow’s a working day.”
“Aw, you spoil all the fun,” Stella Mendez teased and threw a balled-up napkin at her.
“She’s our designated keeper.” Lydia laughed. “She makes sure we don’t get too drunk or go home with strange men. Right, Sasha?”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah.” Sasha rolled her eyes at Kari. “Maybe we can do this again Friday?”
“Maybe. We’ll see.” She wasn’t yet ready to hurl herself back into the social swim up to her armpits. Not when she was still looking over her shoulder and jumping at shadows, even though she was sure her stalker was hundreds of miles away.
Chapter Fourteen
Slade cursed the bitter cold of the Hindu Kush mountains and the assignment that had once again sent him and his team to these godforsaken rocks. This was the fourth one since his return from San Antonio. He was beginning to wonder if he’d ever get home again. And see Kari.
Kari.
Just thinking her name made his body heat and his cock harden. He’d never missed a woman like this before. He wanted to think it was just sex, although it was spectacular sex. Emotional connection scared the shit out of him. He tried convincing himself what he felt for he
r was a result of the sexual chemistry. Even getting the watch for her was something he’d do for anyone in her situation.
You are a stupid fucktard if you believe that.
He could feel himself sucked into this deeper and deeper even while trying to keep his emotional distance.
Yeah, and how is that working for you?
On the very boring flight from Fort Hood to their insertion point for the mission, he’d spent his time staring at the photo of her on his cell phone. He’d had to do some heavy convincing to get her to agree to have her picture taken, but it was an anchor he needed. One minute he was afraid he’d imagined how intense the whole thing was. Another he worried someone would come along before he could get home and pick up where they’d left off. He knew it would be a while, just like he’d told her, before he could get back stateside again.
He tried to analyze how the others were doing. Like him, Beau and Trey had taken advantage of every opportunity to make a cell phone call or send a text. Even Marc, to his shock and pleasant surprise, had huddled a couple of times with his phone. As far away from the team as he could get.
But now their focus had changed. This time they were in hostage rescue mode, a delicate situation that required stealth, sharp eyes and guts. An Army colonel out with one of his men to meet with a local tribal leader had been ambushed, the driver shot and the colonel taken captive. Already the man who had captured him, Faisal Usman, had broadcasted from his camp and shown the colonel bound hand and foot and blindfolded, on his knees in front of him. The message was clear. Remove your troops from my area or I will execute this man.
So Slade and his Delta Force team had been tasked with the rescue. He tucked all thoughts of Kari and the future in a corner of his mind and returned to full mission protocol. Another assignment was waiting for them and there was no opportunity for daydreaming. Satellites had pinpointed the location of Usman’s camp and given them the layout. The thermal imaging had shown them exactly how many people were there—twelve—and how many buildings—four. They were definitely going to be outmanned but the decision had been made to go with just their team. Any more and their lieutenant was afraid they’d provoke an all-out fire-fight and the first person they killed would be the colonel.
The only additional manpower, besides the helo pilot, would be two shooters ready in the open doorway of the Little Bird if trouble showed up, and a medic who would check out the colonel.
So it was on their heads and they knew they damn sure better not make a mistake.
The helicopter dropped them as soon as it was full dark, the pilot confirming the exfiltration time with Slade—just before the first fingers of dawn would begin to light up the sky. They had to do all this under cover of night. Even then they’d be in danger, but the inky blackness would give them great cover. And no moon tonight… A lucky break. As soon as his boots hit the ground he signaled his team to move forward.
The night was completely still. Not even the birds seemed to be making themselves heard, as if they had silenced their singing so the men of the Delta Force team could hear any other sounds. There wasn’t even the distant tinkle of a sheep herder’s bell as he urged a flock of yaks from place to place. Not that Slade expected them to be moving at night but weirder things had happened. Almost an entire SEAL team had been wiped out because a young sheep herder had been leading his charges and had stumbled upon them. They’d chosen not to kill him…and he’d chosen to rat them out to the very man they’d been assigned to kill.
Slade concentrated on his movements as he and his team crawled quietly to the ridge overlooking the camp and pulled out their night binoculars to study the layout.
Marc, who had taken point as usual, shimmied back until he was next to Slade.
“Satellite indicates they’ve got the colonel in the shed off to the side,” he whispered and held up his thermal imaging scope. “I agree. It’s isolated from the other buildings. They’d want to keep the ‘infidel’ separate. Plus, it doesn’t look like they’ve even got a guard on him.”
“Probably not necessary. They’re a cocky bunch of assholes and they’re convinced no one will find them. Besides, from what I saw on the video clip, those bastards gave him a pretty harsh beating, so he may not be in any condition to give them trouble.”
“Which could also make getting him out of there that much harder,” Marc pointed out.
“We’ll just have to deal with it,” Slade whispered back. “Okay, we need a distraction. Something to draw them to the opposite side of the camp.”
“Two people to create chaos and two to retrieve the colonel,” Marc agreed.
“We’ll let Beau and Trey handle the diversion while we spring the colonel.”
Slade spoke very softly, just enough to be heard through the comm link. As still as the air was in the mountains tonight, almost a total absence of sound, it would be very easy for voices to carry. Not that any of them thought the men below them were paying much attention. The two around the fire appeared engrossed in an animated conversation and everyone else was inside.
He kept the instructions to a bare minimum. It wasn’t their first time at this particular kind of ball game. They’d executed the game plan countless times before, in a variety of situations, so everyone was well aware of what had to be done.
Slade and Marc worked their way down slowly until they reached the edge of the camp. It was a cluster of some twenty crudely built huts. Off to the left Slade spotted four transport trucks and two SUV-type vehicles. And, of course, at the opposite end, the requisite camels. Everyone seemed to be inside except for the two campfire-huddling men, rifles slung over their shoulders as they warmed their hands at the flames.
When Slade and Marc were in position, he clicked his mic three times—the ‘go’ signal. From his position behind a giant outcropping of rock, Beau fired fifty-millimeter rounds directly into the fire. They immediately exploded and sparks flew in every direction.
The doors to the huts flew open and men raced into the area around the fire then jumped back as Beau and Trey unleashed another volley of shots. Slade could visualize them moving stealthily in a semicircle, continuing to shoot to distract the men and pin them down. Over the steady sound of shooting, he heard the men shouting, almost screaming, running to get their own rifles and shooting indiscriminately in the direction of the outcropping.
Crouched low, Slade and Marc made their way slowly around to the front of the shed serving as the colonel’s prison. They constantly scanned the area and listened for any sound that would indicate movement. All they heard was the cry of night birds and the snuffling sound of the camels. Step by step, guns at the ready, they inched their way forward until they reached the door. Luckily there wasn’t a lock to deal with, just a wooden bar across the door that rested on a claw hook. Of course, where could their prisoner go?
They eased the bar up and out, careful not to make a sound as they lowered it to the ground, opening the door just enough so he and Marc could inch their way inside. His gut churned when he saw the colonel, hands still tied behind his back, lying on his side. His clothes were torn, his body dirt-encrusted and his face a mass of bruises. Rage surged through him, but he forced it back as quickly as it had come. No time for that now. The man’s eyes widened as Slade pulled down the black fabric covering the Delta Force patch and pointed a finger at Marc and himself. Slade held a finger to his lips and the guy nodded. The guy was no dummy. He knew silence was key.
Marc pulled out his Ka-Bar knife and cut away the colonel’s ropes. They had a little trouble getting the hostage to his feet and he stumbled as they tried to move him forward but mouthed “I’m okay” and pulled in a lungful of air. Slade knew the man had to be in a lot of pain but he also knew he’d suck it up and do what he needed to help them get him out of there.
Trey and Beau were still firing into the camp, moving from place to place on the ridge and staying out of reach of any stray bullets. The men in camp had no idea where the next volley would come from. Each
time they tried to send someone in that direction, Slade’s team pinned them down.
It was very slow going. They had to be careful not to make a sound, not to kick any loose pebbles or rustle any of the underbrush. The last thing they wanted was to alert anyone. Additionally, the colonel wasn’t in much shape to move on his own. He had wounds that appeared painful so Slade grabbed his bandana from around his neck and gave it to the man to bite down on, wrapped an arm around his charge and pulled him against his body, grateful the guy could at least walk without shuffling. Skilled in this, they moved like silent ghosts until at last they reached a point far enough away from the camp to stop for a moment. Slade clicked his mic three times again, knowing the sound would be audible in the earbuds of the shooters even over the gunfire. The next tricky part would come when Beau and Trey stopped firing and had to haul ass to meet up with them without giving away their positions or letting the men in the camp spread out to hunt them once there were no more bullets spraying at them.
But this was a well-trained team, men who knew their jobs. Still in stealth mode, they moved as fast as they dared toward the rendezvous point, he and Marc supporting the colonel between them. By now even with the bandana stuffed in his mouth, the colonel groaned involuntarily if they jarred him too much. Trey and Beau, finished with their covering fire, caught up to them and they all took turns helping the wounded man move along.
Finally they reached the rendezvous spot, just as the helo came in over them, two gunners in the open doorway, rifles at the ready. The pilot set down long enough for them to heave the colonel into the helo cabin then boost themselves in, guns still slung across their chests.
Then they were away.
The medic immediately took charge of the colonel, stretching him out on a piece of canvas on the floor of the cabin, checking the wounds on his face and his chest. When the colonel groaned again the medic rolled him to his side, eased up his shirt and exposed cuts on the man’s back. While the team unhooked their packs and their rifles, he cleaned the wounds with materials from the kit he carried with him, and gave him an injection of painkiller. As soon as they landed, Slade would make sure the man was transferred to the nearest military hospital.